Lightweight
by Dream Out Loud 18
Summary: On the outside, Zia Rashid is a tough girl. On the inside, however, she's a girl who has her heart in control by a certain Kane. Will a song help her admit this both to herself and Carter? For HyperAndProudOfIt's Zarter contest.


**For HyperAndProudOfIt's Zarter Song-Fic Contest of Demi Lovato.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the song, Lightweight, by Demi Lovato, or the Kane Chronicles. D: I also don't own the last name for Jaz (Anderson). It belongs to FlameTamer16. I also don't own the last names of Alyssa and Julian. They belong to HyperAndProudOfIt.**

**Lightweight**

Zia Rashid was starting to feel afraid. So what else is new?

She had been dating Carter Kane for a while now, and he had complete control of her. It scared her out of her wits. What if at the end, he left her? What if he betrayed her? A million what ifs ran through her mind.

Zia shook her head, trying to focus. It was Karaoke Night, and it was her friend, Jaz Anderson's, turn to sing. Zia was sure that Jaz wouldn't mess up. After all, she [Jaz] was a Nashviller. Music and healing were in her blood.

"Hey, Z." Zia didn't even have to turn around to know it was Carter.

"Oh, hello, Carter," Zia greeted, a small smile on her face. See what is happening to her? Just with a simple "Hey, Zia", she's smiling. See how far she's falling in love with Carter Kane?

"Want to go sit down next to Alyssa and Julian?" Carter asked, his hands in his pockets, grinning. Zia felt her heart pounding, just because of that posture.

"Sure," she was able to get out, and she and Carter walked towards one of the sofas surrounding the makeshift stage. Alyssa Monroe and Julian Hall were sitting down, along with Walt Stone, the couple [Julian and Alyssa] hand-in-hand. Carter and Zia sat down. Zia's heart went jumping when her hand brushed Carter's. She hated the power Carter had over her.

After what seemed forever, the blond healer stepped onto the stage, grabbing the mic. "I dedicate this song to my boyfriend, Walt." Everyone burst apart, and Walt grinned. Jaz cleared her throat as the music began, and she began to sing:

**The slightest words you said,  
><strong>**Have all gone to my head  
><strong>**I hear angels sing, in your voice  
><strong>**When you pull me close,  
><strong>**Feelings I've never known****  
>They mean everything,<br>****And leave me no choice**

It was so true, in Zia's case. Every word Carter says goes up to her head, staying there no matter how hard she tries to shake them out of her mind and focus on the war. Every time Carter talks, his voice belongs to one of an angel—maybe the angel Gabriel, who told Mary she was pregnant with Jesus (Zia got interested into reading the Bible, okay?).

And every time Carter wrapped his arms around Zia, pulling her close, she felt feelings she had believed she would never feel again—not since her father. She felt waves of love coming over her when he pulled her close, leaving her no choice but to accept the fact she was in love with Carter Julius Kane.

**Light on my heart,  
><strong>**Light on my feet,  
><strong>**Light in your eyes,  
><strong>**I can't even speak  
><strong>**Do you even know,  
><strong>**How you make me weak**

Every time Zia sees Carter, she feels like she is on fire (not literally), but a good type of fire. The I-love-him fire. It was on her heart, on her feet...and when she sees the sparkle, the light in his eyes, she was speechless for a moment.

And does Carter even _know_ how he makes her weak? Does he know that when Zia sees him, she feels her heart pounding, feels her walls crumbling, and just wanting to collapse in his arms? Does he know that?

**I'm a lightweight  
><strong>**Better be careful with what you say  
><strong>**With every word I'm blown away  
><strong>**You're in control of my heart**

Zia was of little importance in the war—a lightweight. She didn't care of Ra kept on babbling about zebras being good. Carter better be careful with what he says, because if he told her to go away, she would definitely do it. After all, he was in control of her heart and she could do nothing about it. She even...liked that he was had her heart, instead of someone else.

**I'm a lightweight  
><strong>**Easy to fall easy to break  
><strong>**With every move my whole world shakes  
><strong>**Keep me from falling apart**

Zia, though it didn't see like it, was easy to fall, easy to break. She could fall easily with the death of someone she loved, or betrayal of someone she trusted. And Carter was had both her love and trust. What if he betrays her? What if he dies? What if he betrays her _and_ dies?

Even the mere thought of that made her whole word shake. Zia closed her eyes. She shouldn't think that. Carter would keep her from falling apart. He was _Carter_, for Thoth's sake!

**Make a promise please  
><strong>**You'll always be in reach  
><strong>**Just in case I need  
><strong>**You there when I call (There when I call)  
><strong>**This is all so new  
><strong>**Seems too good to be true  
><strong>**Could this really be  
><strong>**A safe place to fall?**

Zia glanced at Carter from the corner of her eye. She wanted to tell him, right now, to make her the promise that he would always be close to her, just in case she needed him if something happened. Just to make sure.

And all these feelings...they were all so new. Never before had she blushed around someone—especially around a male. And Carter was just so...imperfectly perfect. Her relationship with him was way too good to be true. A tiny, small part in her brain wondered if this was a safe place to fall, let her walls crumble around Carter.

Her heart answered yes.

**Light on my heart,  
><strong>**Light on my feet,  
><strong>**Light in your eyes,  
><strong>**I can't even speak  
><strong>**Do you even know,  
><strong>**How you make me weak  
><strong>**Oh ohhh**

No, Carter definitely didn't know how much he made Zia weak.

**I'm a lightweight  
><strong>**Better be careful with what you say  
><strong>**With every word I'm blown away  
><strong>**You're in control of my heart**

With Carter in control of her heart, she could be easily be blown away. She was like...a slave of love. Carter didn't know how much power he had over her. Maybe when they were fighting, he would yell to go jump off a building and Zia would do so, because that's what he told her to do.

It made her feel sick that she was going to listen to something as bad as that. But that is love for you.

**I'm a lightweight  
><strong>**Easy to fall easy to break  
><strong>**With every move my whole world shakes  
><strong>**Keep me from falling apart**

Tough on the outside, fragile in the inside. That was Zia. She was tough, a no-nonsense girl on the outside, but in the inside, she was a fragile little girl who had lost everything—expect Carter.

And that's what scared her so much, what made her world shake. There was a high chance she would lose Carter, and she hated that. She hated that she was a death magnet. But as long as Carter was still here, he would keep her from falling apart to pieces, hold her in his arms, comfort her. That was Carter for you. But she loved him.

**Keep me from falling down  
><strong>**Drowned in your love  
><strong>**It's almost all too much  
><strong>**Handle with care  
><strong>**Say you'll be there**

Zia knew for sure that Carter would keep her from falling down. But she also knew that she was drowned by his love, and it was just too much. Carter better handle her with care, because that's what she needed. And her world would be better considerably if he just said, "I'll be there."

**Oh, I'm a lightweight  
><strong>**Better be careful with what you say  
><strong>**With every word I'm blown away  
><strong>**You're in control of my heart**

Zia was so much of a lightweight it wasn't even funny. Carter having her wrapped around his finger pretty much gave everyone the clue that with he better be careful with his words, something he isn't really good at, or else he'll blow his girlfriend away.

**I'm a lightweight  
><strong>**Easy to fall easy to break  
><strong>**With every move my whole world shakes  
><strong>**Keep me from falling apart**

And Carter must know how easy Zia can fall and break by now. After all, _he_ was the reason her walls crumbled in the first place. He should know her world shakes when she thinks of being broken again with his death. But that also meant he would keep her even more from falling apart.

**Keep me from falling apart  
><strong>**Keep me from falling apart  
><strong>**Oh ohhh  
><strong>**Falling apart...**

The song finished. Zia snapped back to reality and watched as Walt walked onto stage, sweep Jaz off her feet, and give her a kiss on the lips.

Julian called, "There are children here! Get a room!" while covering Felix's eyes. Alyssa whacked her boyfriend's arm and went to congratulate Jaz. Zia joined her.

"You were amazing, Jaz!" Alyssa exclaimed, grinning. "I've never heard you sing with so much emotion before."

Jaz blushed. "Oh, shut up. I wasn't that good."

"Yes, you were," Zia informed her. "And..." Zia lowered her voice and whispered to the healer, "you gave me a theme song. So thank you."

Jaz smiled at Zia knowingly. "Anytime, Z. Now go to your knight in armor and tell him that."

Zia nodded, but before she left, she added, "He's not my knight in armor. He's my Carter in jeans."

Jaz and Alyssa laughed as Zia walked towards Carter. "Carter?" she whispered.

"Zia?" he whispered back, smiling, and the smile made Zia smile, as well.

"May we talk in the roof for a minute?" she murmured, not wanting someone *cough*Julian*cough* to overhear and spy on them.

"Sure, Z." Carter grabbed her hand, and the two walked to the roof in silence. As soon as they were under the starlit night, Zia bit her lip.

"What is it, Zia?" Carter's eyebrows furrowed in concern and, like always, made Zia's heart jump around in circles.

"That song Jaz was singing earlier...it's my theme song," she whispered, looking at him. He look dumbstruck, disbelieving. Zia continued, "It's true, Carter. You make me weak. I'm a lightweight. You're in control of my heart. And I'm _scared_ of that, Carter."

"Don't be," he whispered, stroking her hair. "If anything, _you_ are in control of _my_ heart. I love you, Zia Rashid."

"I love you too, Carter Kane," Zia whispered, burying her face in the crook of his neck as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close.

_Keep me from falling apart..._

And he did.


End file.
